


The Handler

by A_Constant_Reminder



Category: Marvel, Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Origin Story, F/M, Minor Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 01:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18378530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Constant_Reminder/pseuds/A_Constant_Reminder
Summary: Agent Barnes was supposed to kill the redhead called Natalia, instead he let her live for an unknown reason. He was punished, but he knew that she would be too. Now, two years after their first meeting, he has to train her and the rest of the girls in the Red Room. But there's something different about the redhead compared to the others. She had a certain drive, a fire, that reminded him of himself. But when she graduates, he knows that they will never see each other again. So they make the best of the time they have while they still have it.





	1. Chapter 1

“This is the last time,” she smiles.

James’ lips twitched in a way that could have been a smile in another life. You both know that she’s lying, but of course, she won’t dignify you with the truth.

“And this student?” James asks. “I’m supposed to, what, kill her?”

Madame K shrugs. “She’s outlived her usefulness. Ivan brought us a [Зашквар](.).”

James flinched internally. The poor girl, he thought, she wouldn’t even know.

“Fine,” he sighed, pressing his fingers to his eyes. “But this is the last time?”

“Of course.”

Her voice sounded like a purr. They both knew that he had to do as he was told; there was no point even asking. Madame K walked around her desk, sitting on the edge of the wood. Her long legs crossed one over the other in a way that was deliberate. She leaned forward, her chest level with James’ eyes. He turned away in disgust.

“You will be rewarded after this.” She almost whispered. “We will give you the file.”

He stiffened.  _ The file _ . James nodded briskly and shot up. He walked towards the door leading away from Madame K. 

“Oh, and agent?” She called out when his hand was on the handle. “Fail this and you will be punished.”

James stiffened again, nodded briskly and walked out. This wasn’t the first child he had had to kill on orders from them and he doubted it would be the last. He would have to do it, not just for the file, but for everything else. These people had rescued him from his brainwashing at the hands of the Americans. He owed them his life.

Smoothing out his t-shirt, James walked towards the building that was housing the young girls. It was better to get this over and done with than to linger on it. He knew better than that.

When he arrived at the building, the guard outside nodded him through. He was free to travel pretty much anywhere in the compound. He had earned that privilege long ago. Most of the guards had been trained by him specifically because of his knowledge of American fighting techniques. Most of them were scared of him for the same reason. But it was better to be feared and respected than not, he figured. He walked inside, shaking off his jacket and handing it to the young man at the front reception.

“Where are they training?” James asked.

“Room 312,” the man answered. “They’ve already begun.”

He nodded and walked towards the lift. He had been delayed because of Madame K and her request. He would have been here twenty minutes ago if she hadn’t have stopped him. He hated being late.

James strode into Room 312, hands clasped behind his back, chest forward. Looking every bit as foreboding as they had taught him. His eyes surveyed the room. Twenty-six young girls stood around a cage, their fingers wrapped into the wire watching the fight in front of them intensely. A trainer stood off to the side marking down something on his clipboard. He looked up at James’ arrival and nodded. James stepped further into the room to get a closer look at the girls in the cage.

They couldn’t have been more than fourteen and yet they were attacking each other with such force that told him they knew they were fighting for their lives. There was an obvious winner though. The girl with brown hair was bigger than the redhead, she had obviously been taking the time to practice, whereas the redhead seemed to rely on luck more than skill. He refrained from shaking his head in disappointment when the brown haired girl swiftly kicked the redhead in the jaw, causing her to fall back against the floor. She gasped and looked up at her opponent but then her eyes flickered to James.  _ Big mistake _ , he thought. The brown haired girl took the opportunity to reach out and grab the redhead by her ponytail and brought her face down into her knee. There was an echoing crack as the redhead’s nose broke. James flinched and took a step forward, but before he could do anything the trainer spoke up.

“That’s enough, Ana.” He said stepping towards the cage and opening the door. “We have seen enough for today, go and stand with the others.”

The brown haired girl, Ana, nodded proudly. She shot a look at the redhead and walked out of the open door. The trainer looked down at the redhead and sighed.

“Go and clean yourself up, Natalia.” He said in disgust. 

The redhead, Natalia, shakily got to her feet and walked towards James. She didn’t look at him as she passed, clutching her broken nose. But he saw tears starting to trail down her cheeks. He felt his chest tighten. She was the one that Madame K wanted eliminated. She was right, the girl was weak and would never be able to prove herself useful for the glory of the empire.

The door swung shut behind him and James looked up to the trainer who was already addressing the other girls. Without a moment’s hesitation, he followed after the girl.

The girl, Natalia, seemed to have run to the bathroom from Room 312, because she was not in the hallway when he exited the room. Sighing, James walked into the bathroom. He shut the door carefully and locked it. He didn’t need any of the other girls walking in and seeing this. A soft sobbing came from around the corner and he pulled out his gun. He carefully walked around the lockers and cocked his gun. Natalia was hunched over, her head in her hands. A mixture of blood, snot and tears was dripping into her lap. Her shoulders shook with each sob. And then she stopped.

“You’re here to kill me.” She said, her voice raw.

She didn’t turn to face him.

“Yes,” he answered. He would not lie to the girl.

Natalia turned around, her blue eyes locking with his. He was taken aback by what he saw in them. Wisdom beyond her years. And a sadness too. A sadness that only those who had lost someone would know. Those like James. He hesitated.

“I knew you were here for that reason when you walked into the room.” She did not look defeated, instead she looked indignant. “Will you tell me why?”

His tongue darted out against his bottom lip before he captured it in his teeth.

“No,” he shook his head. “I cannot.”

“Very well,” Natalia turned her full body to face him. “Go ahead if you must.

James rested his finger on the trigger. He reminded himself why he had to do this. But this girl, this Natalia, she looked at him in such a way…  _ She’s only fourteen _ , he thought to himself,  _ surely she deserves another chance _ .

Sighing, James uncocked his gun and lowered it. Natalia looked at him confused.

“You shouldn’t let the other girl get to you.” He said, shaking his head. “You might be smaller, but you need to use that to your advantage.”

“I… I don’t… What?” She stuttered.

“Practice more. Everything else can wait. You do not need sleep, you need to survive.” He pressed his lips together. “You need to show them that you’re worthy, that you will be an asset. Otherwise there will be another like me. And next time he won’t be so forgiving.”

James turned around and headed to the door. Natalia grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

“Why?” She asked, her blue eyes searching his.

He looked down at her small hand in his and then back into her eyes.

“Because I was once you.” He pulled his hand from her grip. “And winter is a cold season without any friends.”

She stood straighter and nodded solemnly. 

“I understand.” She promised.

James smiled. A small thing that barely turned his lips but touched his eyes.

“Not yet.” He shook his head. “But you will.”

He unlocked and opened the door. Stepping through the narrow doorway and towards the exit of the building before he could think of the ramifications of what he had just done. He had just failed a direct request, a chance to get the name of the soldiers who had held him captive in the American camp. All for what? A teary-eyed girl? But there was something else about her. Something that reminded him of himself. The fiery indignant way that she looked at him, prepared to face her death at his hand.

James sighed and leaned up against the building, leaning his head against the cool stone of the wall. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He had failed and now he had to suffer the consequences. He heard Madame K’s footsteps before he saw her. She stopped in front of him, cigarette in hand. She took a long drag of the cigarette before speaking.

“She’s not dead.” Madame K stated.

“No,” James shook his head and opened his eyes. “She’s not.”

“Why?”

He didn’t exactly know, but she would need a reason. They weren’t going to be happy with him now.

“She will prove herself useful.” James shrugged. “I don’t think she’s living up to her full potential.”

Madame K took another drag of her cigarette, contemplating his words. 

“You’ve gone soft.” She said as she exhaled. “If she doesn’t, and she probably won’t, then you will pull the trigger next time.”

James nodded. “Fine.”

She threw the half smoked cigarette on the floor and twisted her foot on it. Madame K looked up at him.

“You know what this will mean?” She asked.

He nodded again. He knew what was in store for him. A trip to Room 516.

“Follow me,” she said as she turned around and headed towards a building that he had spent many a night and day in after his rescue from the Americans.

They arrived at the door and Madame K pressed her thumb against the pad next to the door. It beeped twice and opened. She stepped through the door, not waiting for James to follow but knowing that he will. Every inaction deserved a consequence, they had once told him. Inaction was a weak link in the strong chain of the Soviet Empire.

They stepped onto a lift which had another thumb reader. Madame K pressed her finger against it, allowing it to beep before pressing the level 5 button. The lift went downwards into the earth. If James was scared, he didn’t show it. They liked it too much when he showed any feeling. Stepping out of the lift, Madame K stayed behind.

“I trust you know the way?” She said as she grabbed another cigarette from the packet. “They will be waiting for you.”

The door closed, shutting him in the long hallway lit only by fluorescent lights overhead which occasionally flickered as he walked under them. He took a deep breath in as he started towards the room. He knew the scientists there would put him through, what they liked to call, re-education. He hated this process, but knew it was necessary.

James stepped into the room, expecting to see the normal wired chair with screens showing his vital signs through the re-education process. Instead he was greeted by a cold room that held a surgical table. The scientists were in protective clothing and preparing for, what looked like, a surgery. None turned to look at him.

“Take off your clothes and get on the table.” Dr Mikhailov said, not once looking up from his clipboard.

James hesitated, what did they have in store for him?

Dr Mikhailov looked up at him. “Do as I say, Agent Barnes.”

James nodded and stepped behind a changing screen to strip off his clothes. He walked over to the surgical table and laid down on the cold metal. His body froze at the touch. His hands clenched. A nurse came around and diligently restrained his arms, legs and head to the table. Dr Mikhailov put down his clipboard and stepped into James’ line of sight. He tried to control his breathing as a nurse affixed electrodes to his chest and neck. Another nurse walked around to his right arm and inserted a cannula into it.

“We are going to make you stronger.” Dr Mikhailov smiled. “After this you will be one of our stronger agents. And you will not fail again.”

James looked at him, confused. “How?”

“Your arm will be cut off and replaced with the latest technology.” He said nonchalantly. James froze. “We will expect some resistance from you, so this time we will be placing you to sleep before starting.”

“Y-you can’t.” James stuttered. He knew he shouldn’t show his fear, but he couldn’t help it.

“Actually, we can. You are the property of the Soviet Empire and we can do what we like.” Dr Mikhailov patted his right shoulder. “You will not feel a thing during, but can expect some pain afterwards.”

He fought against the restraints as the nurse hooked an IV drip up to his arm. She injected a milky white liquid into the line. His vision slowly started to darken at the edges, but he fought against the fog. He didn’t want this.

“I’ll do it!” He yelled, slurring slightly. “I’ll kill the girl. Don’t cut off my arm.”

“It’s too late, Agent Barnes.” Dr Mikhailov said. “And this would have happened either way. It was on the plan for you.”

Dr Mikhailov looked up at the nurse. “Inject another 120ccs.” He looked back down at James. “We will be going ahead whether or not you respond to the anesthetic. Don’t make this hard on yourself, Agent Barnes.”

His eyes darted to the nurse, memorising her face. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he had to. She injected more milky white liquid into the IV line. His breathing quickened as his eyes darted around the room. Dr Mikhailov had moved on to discuss the procedure with his colleagues, presumably. He felt the fog creeping into his mind, but this time he didn’t fight it.

The last thing he saw was the light above him turning on, causing his vision to flare white before turning completely black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James has a new assignment that he is determined not to fail. But she makes it a little harder to keep a level head.

They didn’t let him out straight away. He had served his purpose, or rather had disobeyed them, which they couldn’t let slide. Even though they had already punished him, he had to endure it some more. So he was put on ice. He hated it because he felt every moment passing.

Sometimes he slept, or rather he let the blackness overtake him and push him into a false sense of security. During those times he just saw red. The red of her hair, her lips, the blood trailing from her nose. During those times he felt himself cracking just a little bit. The girl he was supposed to kill; how was she able to affect him so?

When they finally unfroze him, they told him it had been three years. His first thought was of her.

_Was she still alive?_

They gave him clothes and instructions for the use of his new arm. James found that it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. It worked just like an arm, but he was stronger now, better. The empire had made him better and he was grateful for it.

He trudged through the snow to Madame K’s office. He was told that she was expecting him for a new assignment. This time he was not going to fail it. He couldn’t; for his sanity.

James briskly stepped into the building and out of the cold and made his way up to her office. He knocked on the door once, twice and waited. A voice told him to enter. Taking a deep breath in, James opened the door. Madame K’s office was the epitome of extravagance. Deep red carpets, red curtains tied up around the windows. Her desk a deep brown wood that James knew would be smooth to touch. Madame K sat on a leather chair, her head down as she signed something. A young soldier stood next to her trying not to look over her shoulder as she signed. He snapped to attention when James walked into the room. He strode leisurely over to the chair opposite Madame K’s.

“Here, Adrian.” She said as she closed the document and sealed it with her wax seal. “Take this to Sergei and don’t dawdle.”

He nodded and quickly left the room. James noticed his eyes glance once or twice to his new arm before he exited. Madame K turned her eyes onto James, a slow smile creeping onto her lips.

“Well, agent Barnes.” She said as she grabbed a cigarette. “I must say, the new arm is a good look on you.”

James rolled his shoulder and shrugged. “I’m still getting used to it myself.”

“I expect it won’t take you much time.” She smiled as she blew a puff of smoke in his direction. “You always were a quick learner.”

“You have a new assignment?” He asked, desperately wanting to change the topic of conversation.

“Yes,” she sighed. “We’ve had an… _Unfortunate_ situation with one of our trainers who found himself with his throat slit one night.”

James arched an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. An unfortunate situation meant that he was caught helping the enemy somehow. He had no sympathy for traitors; they deserved what they got.

“We need you to train the Black Widow students.” She said as she tapped her cigarette on the edge of an opulent glass tray.

He stiffened. Training the Black Widow students meant he would see _her_ again. If she was still alive, that was.

“How long for?” He asked, trying to keep the catch in his throat from affecting his voice.

“Until graduation, so a year and a half.” She looked him over for something, he wasn’t sure what.

“And what’s the catch?” There was always one, even if they promised otherwise.

Madame K smiled and took another drag of her cigarette. “So observant, James.” She laughed, a sound that set his teeth on edge. “Of course, you will report to me if any of the girls are underperforming and then you will promptly dispatch them.”

James nodded. He will not make the same mistake twice. If they… If _she_ wasn’t performing at a high standard, he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger this time.

“Excellent.”

Madame K put out her cigarette in the glass tray, leaving a trail of smoke behind. She got up from her desk and walked over to her coat stand where she grabbed a long fur coat. She draped it over her shoulders and turned to face James.

“Follow me, I will introduce you to the girls.” She looked at her watch. “They would just be about to have lunch.”

He got up from his seat and followed Madame K out of the building and over to the one that house the students. They took a lift up to the fourth level and walked down a brightly lit corridor. They stopped in front of a wooden door with a window. The girls were all seated and paying full attention to the teacher in the front of the classroom. They were learning French from the look of the words on the blackboard. Madame K knocked on the window and smiled at the teacher who looked visibly shaken. They entered the classroom and James’ eyes scanned the girls’ faces, immediately stopping on _hers_.

“Good morning, Mistress Martin.” Madame K smiled. “I won’t be interrupting for very long, I just wanted to introduce the new trainer to the girls.”

“Of course,” Mistress Martin bowed her head. “I’m sure they will give you their full attention.”

James was just barely listening to the conversation taking place next to him. His eyes were caught in the blue stare of the young redhead. She was alive, which meant that she had improved. His body was buzzing to see her in action, to see how well she was doing.

“Good morning girls,” Madame K said.

“Good morning, Madame.” The girls repeated in unison.

The redhead finally let him go from her gaze to turn it onto Madame K. James felt weak at the knees but he stood to attention next to Madame K. His hands clasped firmly behind him to stop them from shaking.

“This is Agent James Barnes.” She said, motioning to James. “You may know him better as the Winter Soldier.”

Excited whispers broke out from the girls as they each surveyed him. Their eyes sparkling. Madame K cleared her throat, bringing the attention back onto her.

“Agent Barnes has agreed to instruct you until graduation.” She continued. “I expect that you will treat him with the respect that he deserves and nothing less. He will be reporting your progress back to me, so I don’t want to hear anything about anyone slacking off. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Madame K.” The girls promised.

James caught himself, once again, looking at the redhead. He couldn’t help it, his eyes just seemed to gravitate towards her on their own. She was once again looking at him, but there was something else in her blue eyes. A curiosity of sorts. He could see the questions floating about behind her eyes. Questions that he wasn’t sure that he had answers to.

A warm hand on the small of his back broke him out of his distracted gaze. Madame K stood close to him, too close for his comfort. She was looking up at him expectedly. Crap! What had she just said?

“Um, yes, well,” he stuttered. “I’ve been told good things about you all and cannot wait to see your training levels after lunch. From there I will determine the training schedules required for each of you.”

He could feel his cheeks growing warmer, but he didn’t want to look at Madame K to see how he had done.

“Thank you, Agent.” She patted him on the chest. “And thank you Mistress Martin, for letting us interrupt the end of your lesson.”

“Not an issue, Madame.” Mistress Martin smiled uneasily. “You’re welcome any time.”

Madame K nodded her approval and stepped towards the door. James followed her without looking up, knowing that if he did he would be caught again by her eyes and the questions behind them. He shut the door behind him and took a deep breath in, realising that he had been holding his breath the whole time.

“Perfect, James.” Madame K turned towards him and smiled. “I’m sure you will not disappoint me.”

“Of course not.” He nodded, keeping his hands firmly behind his back. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

She nodded her approval and placed her hands on his chest, stepping closer towards him.

“You know, it’s been three years without having you here.” She glanced up at him through her eyelashes. “They’ve been long without your company.”

James bit his tongue in an effort to stop the snarky comeback that was rising in his throat. Madame K took his silence as agreement.

“I want to see you tonight.” She said as she leaned against him.

“Is that an order, Ma’am?” He asked before he could stop himself.

Madame K laughed. “Yes, Agent Barnes, it is. And I expect you to comply. I would like to know what you’re capable of now.”

She ran her fingers down the cool metal of his arm. He, of course, didn’t feel a thing from it, but she obviously did.

Smiling, she stepped apart from his as the door behind him opened. She got into the lift and waved her fingers at him.

“See you tonight, Barnes.” She winked as she grabbed another cigarette.

He waited until she was gone from sight before he relaxed his stance. Madame K’s advances were something that James had tolerated in the past. But now it turned his stomach to think of her in such a way. The three years he had been iced had not been kind on her and she was starting to show her age. He didn’t know if he was being hyper-critical because he didn’t like the woman, or because there was someone else who occupied his thoughts.

“Excuse me, Agent Barnes.” A voice behind him said.

He spun around to come face to face with the girl who had kept him sane for the last three years. If sane was the right word. She barely came up to his shoulders, her head was turned up towards him. Her hair was tied back into a braid out of her eyes, he didn’t know if he preferred that to her hair cascading over her shoulders the way it had in his dreams. Her nose was slightly upturned, her lips full and luscious. James suspected they would be incredibly soft if he ran his fingers over them.

The thought stopped him short. He could not allow that line of thought to invade his mind now. He had to be impartial towards her. He had to be cold. If she had not improved in the last three years, he would be forced to kill her and this time he would have to go through with it.

“Yes?” He said, clearing his throat. “Miss…”

Oh god, what was her name again? He had been internally referring to her as ‘the redhead’ for so long that he had forgotten it.

“Natalia,” she smiled. “I was just wondering…”

She stopped, her eyebrows pulling together. She looked around the empty corridor and clutched her books closer to her chest. She was nervous, he recognised. He knew the question that she wanted to say, but wasn’t sure if he was ready to give an answer to it.

“Well?” He pushed, pulling on the cold exterior he knew so well.

Natalia frowned. Her mouth opened briefly before closing again.

“Nothing,” she shook her head. “It was nothing. I just wanted to know what we would need for your class this afternoon.”

James nodded. “Of course,” he took a deep breath in when he realised she was not going to pursue the subject she wanted to. “You will need your training gear, and that is all.”

Natalia nodded and turned around to hurry towards the cafeteria. James watched her go with a tightness in his chest. This was going to be harder than he first imagined. He didn’t know at what point this girl had permeated so deeply into his subconsciousness. He didn’t know how she had left such a lasting impression on him. Or how she made him feel this way. He was sure that the reason for his obsession was just because he wouldn’t be able to have her. But in a way, she also just reminded him of himself from so many years ago, when they first rescued him from the Americans.

James shook off the memory and turned towards the lift. He needed food if he was going to face a room full of young girls in a couple of hours. Especially when she would be among them.


End file.
